Lug-If I was a gunsmith

F

FBecigneul

Member
If I was a gunsmith I’d cut a dovetail in the bottom of the action .256 back of the receiver face and slide a dovetailed cross piece in the action about .258 proud of the bottom of the action and weld it in place.
Why .256 back and .258 proud? Gunsmiths do odd things.
 
Dan Sutton, in Phoenix does something similar, he cuts a small key way across the bottom of the action so that it acts as a recoil lug of sorts.
 
Rubicon Prec. said:
Yep. It’s not 1960 anymore...
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It certainly isn't.
There has been discussion on various forums in the past about harmonics relative to lug location in a non-glued in, bedded rifle. There is a belief by some pretty knowledgeable people that having the lug somewhere near the middle of the action is of benefit. I'm not claiming either way is right or wrong, just sayin.
And yes, a lug could be machined just about anywhere into an action today that is integral, with some added cost but certainly not what it would've added in 1960. At least not in terms of time it would take to do it...different dollars between then and now, substantially.

Maybe it's of benefit and maybe it's not. I haven't tested it and couldn't say with certainty.
 
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Pandiaks...

Stan Ware did four of these Pandas for me. The recoil lug is dovetailed into the receiver body and set back from the receiver face .010. The lug is screwed in from the bottom. Kind of a cross between a Panda and a Kodiak, we called them Pandiaks.

Stan had his Pandas set up this way, also. He also did several others. Stan was a true craftsman. :)

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Al Nyhus said:
Stan Ware did four of these Pandas for me. The recoil lug is dovetailed into the receiver body and set back from the receiver face .010. The lug is screwed in from the bottom. Kind of a cross between a Panda and a Kodiak, we called them Pandiaks.

Stan had his Pandas set up this way, also. He also did several others. Stan was a true craftsman. :)

zPMsKbLl.jpg


85f0sBAl.jpg
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Looks nice Al!
I always worry about things bolted on that are subjected to recoil forces. I've seen firsthand the surprising amount of energy that the speed and just energy from recoil can possess.
Years ago I put a 3lb stainless bag rider on the forearm of a 30br in a hunter class stock. I used a grade 8 3/8x1 flat head counter sunk bolt. Recoil alone bent the cap out of that bolt. I certainly wouldn't have thought it was possible but it was.
I guess the weight of the bag rider, along with the recoil energy and velocity of a 30br in a 10lb rifle is just a lot more than I gave it credit for.
Your dovetailed setup obviously was superior, understandably so.
 
mwezell said:
Looks nice Al!
I always worry about things bolted on that are subjected to recoil forces. I've seen firsthand the surprising amount of energy that the speed and just energy from recoil can possess.
Years ago I put a 3lb stainless bag rider on the forearm of a 30br in a hunter class stock. I used a grade 8 3/8x1 flat head counter sunk bolt. Recoil alone bent the cap out of that bolt. I certainly wouldn't have thought it was possible but it was.
I guess the weight of the bag rider, along with the recoil energy and velocity of a 30br in a 10lb rifle is just a lot more than I gave it credit for.
Your dovetailed setup obviously was superior, understandably so.
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Now take that same experience and scale it up,

and up,

and upppp ...........to a 300gr to 450gr bullet generating from 6000 to 9000 ftlb of energy. That's 3 to 4 1/2 TONS of energy.

Now hang a bipod off the forend and watch the gun yank itself UP and BACK trying to rip itself out of the stock. Watch as the barrel flexes clear up til you can see light thru.... and everything you ever thought you knew about recoil lugs and barrel joints goes right out the window!
 
alinwa said:
Now hang a bipod off the forend and watch the gun yank itself UP and BACK trying to rip itself out of the stock. Watch as the barrel flexes clear up til you can see light thru.... and everything you ever thought you knew about recoil lugs and barrel joints goes right out the window!
Click to expand...
Had a friend decided to make a fixed rest to test his loads, using a vice connected to a steel monster something like one of those folding work benches.

His first shot had the bell of the scope belted by the barrel not quite enough to shatter the lens, but good enough to make the lock ring permanent.
 
I have several s/shot prone rifles w/ longitudinal,drafted recoil lugs that do not have a sandwiched lug between Bbl & receiver.

Makes for interesting conversation in the discipline, for those that don't/can't think outside of the box.
 
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